FOUR WINTERS
IN EDIFICIO CUBA

“Edificio Cuba” is the name of an overcrowded five-story apartment building in the historic Havana Vieja neighborhood, whose open hallways serve as the backdrop for life in the old quarter. Parties, arguments, and deals—not always legal—take place in the building’s hallways at all hours of the day and night.
Edificio Cuba is the kingdom of Yeison and the other neighborhood kids. Yeison (age 6 at the start of the film) is a hyperactive boy who resists authority. He barges into his neighbors’ apartments uninvited, charms people with his sense of humor, and often gets himself into trouble. His mother, Eulalia (38), who has been unemployed for years, is often forced to leave him in the care of neighbors while she tries to make a living doing odd jobs. His father, Nelisito (40), a small-time local criminal and charismatic con artist, rarely shows up at the building. He comes and goes, much to Yeison’s despair.